This Sunday, the Gospel reading brings the second part of the Sermon of the Parables contained in Matthew 13, considered by many scholars to be the center of Matthew’s Gospel. As we hear over and over again, Jesus begins each parable by saying “the Kingdom of Heaven is like….” The sermon brings key elements that help us to understand different aspects of the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven. (St. Thomas Aquinas underlines the importance of the use of metaphors in the Sacred Scriptures, see Summa Theologiae I,1,9; current literary research concurs, showing the importance of metaphors as a cognitive, not merely rhetorical, device.) In total, the sermon contains seven parables, a biblical number that gives the idea of completion.
The parable of the wheat and the weeds tackles the issue of the evil present in the world and in the Church. “His field” is both the Church and the created world, as the foundational opening chapter of the Bible makes clear that everything that came out of God’s hands was “very good” (Gen 1:31). We have the explanation of the parable, so it seems easy to understand its content. We can see a clear match between every element of the parable with a specific item provided in the interpretation, typical of the allegorical method. (This was the common procedure in ancient times; a good example is given by the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria, a contemporary of Jesus, in his interpretation of the biblical text.)
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We can also notice the use of apocalyptic/eschatological language. The figure of the “harvest” is a common biblical metaphor for the time of God’s judgment (see Jer 51:33; Jl 4:13; Hos 6:11).
Still, we need to be careful of adopting too wooden of an understanding. A literalistic understanding of the text could lead to the wrong perception that everything is already predetermined or predestined (as is the case with the understanding of predestination in Calvinism). In fact, the parable does not speak of the possibility of conversion, seemingly denying human freedom.
The liturgy is careful to lead us into a more accurate perception of the mystery. For this, the first reading is essential. The book of Wisdom of Solomon is roughly contemporary with Jesus Christ. The verses chosen for today’s reading make an important assertion: “your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all” (Wis 12:16b). The refusal of the householder to uproot the weeds right away suggests the need for patience in the presence of evil, avoiding an intervention that could make the cure worse than the disease.
In other words, when we read a specific biblical text, like this parable, that we are trying to understand, we must also keep in mind the whole of the Biblical Revelation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church indicates three key principles for a Catholic interpretation: 1) Be especially attentive “to the content and unity of the whole Scripture”; 2) Read the Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”; 3) Be attentive to the analogy of faith (## 112-114).
The parable is a masterful blending of concepts and images taken from the prophetic, apocalyptic, and wisdom literary traditions, but with the new spin that Jesus’ revelation brings. This is pointed out by the reference to the “Son of Man,” which is Jesus’ preferred expression to refer to Himself.
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There is, nonetheless, a call for us to make sure we receive Jesus’ revelation. The assertion at the end, “Whoever has ears ought to hear,” refers us back to the first parable that we heard last Sunday about the seed and the different types of terrains that exist. The indication “to hear” is characteristic of Biblical Wisdom Literature (e.g., Proverbs; the phrase “Wisdom! Let us be attentive!” is a solemn proclamation used in Eastern Christian liturgies). If we want to be “children of the kingdom,” as indicated in today’s parable, we need to hear, that is to open our ears, to make sure we make the effort to listen to Jesus. The Communion Antiphon says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, says the Lord. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev 3:20).
There is a prayer I like to say as soon as I wake up every morning. I put it here in case you may want to use it: “My God and my Lord (Jn 20:28), my God and my all (St. Francis of Assisi), here I come to do your will (Heb 10:7). Say Your ephphatha over me (Mk 7:34) and make me hear Your Word today (Ps 40:7).”